"Colonel" John and "Judge" John Watson

 John Watson, the leatherman     1808 – 1891

            and his father-in-law John Watson     1768-1829               

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"Colonel" John was the 5^th of 8 children born to Wheeler Watson and Sarah Taylor Peckham in Rensselaerville, NY. After serving as Colonel in a local militia while a young man, he continued to use the title throughout his life.  John spent his entire career in the leather industry and it made him enormously wealthy.

In 1831 he married his first cousin Mercy L. Watson, daughter of his paternal uncle John Watson 1768-1829 and his wife Mary. They were married for about 50 years and raised two daughters, Mary and Emily, but had no grandchildren.

John partnered with his brother-in-law Zadock Pratt (who first married his sister Abigail, and then following her death, their sister Mary Elizabeth) in creating what was heralded as the “largest leather tannery in the world” in Greene County, NY. They continued this partnership for 15 years during which time Zadock served two terms as U.S. Congressman, presumably leaving John to run the lucrative business.

By 1846 John retired from the tannery and moved to New York City where he was a principal in the leather firm Thorne, Watson, Corse & Co. until his true retirement in 1881.  He and his family lived on Fifth Avenue and they also enjoyed their country estate in New Jersey where John was said to have gained great pleasure from the flowers and plants that surrounded him there.

  

John was a man said to be generous to charities, but without attaching his name publicly to his gifts.  His daughters, who inherited his fortune, were also very generous and, at times, were so noted in the NY press.

The Colonel’s uncle/father-in-law John 1768-1829 was a farmer who also served as a judge in Court of Common Pleas and as Senator in the RI General Assembly in 1817.  He was the son of yet another John 1737- 1796 and his wife Desire Wheeler.

In 1794 “Judge John” married his first cousin, Mary Watson 1775-1829, daughter of his paternal uncle Elisha Watson and his wife Miriam Babcock.  Similar to his nephew, he had a “double” brother-in-law also.  Josiah Watson, son of Stephen, married his sisters Mercy and Bridget.

Do we see a pattern here?